I’m doubting our boys choice now...

[BarryBarryTaylor]

Gabriel James...

A friend asked me and DH earlier if we had a name in mind or if we were still looking, I said no we have finally agreed on a name but it’s a secret. DH promptly responded with “Ive had to massively comprise, it wasn’t my first choice” which has really taken me back. It’s making me doubt the name now. Incidentally it wasn’t my first choice either, but like I say we couldn’t agree.

DH and I haven’t had chance to chat about it as we have family and friends over this evening and I don’t want them knowing our choices, but I’ve been silently mulling it over all evening and now I’m not sure if I even like the name anymore.

We wanted a boys name that was sensible for a baby, boy, man, but also uncommon. (There were only 4 Gabriel’s registered in our borough last year according to the ons website)

Has anyone else got some good names suggestions, happy to go along the biblical route as they seem very ‘classic’

We have lots of grandad names near us, lots of Arthur’s, Alberts, George, Henry/Harry, Max, Olivier...so want to avoid those.

Also James as a mn is set in stone as it’s a family name.

Any suggestions welcome, this whole naming lark is giving me real anxiety now.

Gabriel James sounds lovely. Focus instead on all the other things you'll do "wrong" that will ruin his life ;)

Isaac James
Owen James
Joshua James

Perhaps you need to worry a bit less about how popular a name is and just choose what you both really like.
Ds1 has a really popular name on paper and we have rarely come across anyone with the same name. Ds3’s name is ‘rare’ and there are two in his class. I don’t care either way because I love their names and they are both happy too.
Why not James as a first name if it’s really important to you? I have 3 ds and I have only met 1 boy called James in the last 12 years.

Go down the ons list to those little used names and get a pen and paper each.
Without looking at each others write down any not awful names. This is important, not names you want to use, but just not awful ones. Find 20 or so each.
Then compare. If you have any the same, see if you can talk each other into them.
We did that on two of my sons and it worked out. I love their names, they are uncommon and I would never have considered them until we did that comparison list.
I dont envy the task. The naming part is such a responsibility.
For what it's worth, I know a few people who almost picked Gabriel and didn't.
For uncommon names, how about something 70/80s, not much older. My suggestions are Denis/Mark/Joe/Ray/Andrew. They probably won't have another in their class.

Gabriel is fab.

It’s a lovely name
What was his first choice ?

I really like Gabriel James.

Gabriel is gorgeous and I considered it but I don't like the nickname Gabe. What about Joseph James?

My ds Gabriel Joseph is 19!!
Joseph was after his dgf.

James will be mn as it’s a family tradition for the boys to have that middle name.

To be honest I had an unusual name, and it still is really, and I loved being the only one at school. Dd has an unusual name and she too is the only one at her primary school. DH on the other hand had a very popular boys name and there are many of them within his friendship group, which he really dislikes. It was DH who pushed to have a name that was rare for this reason.

I must admit I am not a fan of the top ten names really, I know a lot of children from my line of work and as nice as top 10names are, they just sound too regular and dull to me.

I’m also nervous that if we don’t find a name we are both happy with, I will end up caving and just going along with DHs first name choice, which I really don’t like, because quite frankly I would rather I would be annoyed about our Ds’ name, that DH.

If baby isn't here yet, just wait to meet him and decide then. He may or may not look like a Gabriel!

DH brother is called Joesph so we could use that.

I don’t even want to say DHs first choice as it’s bloody ridiculous...Appie.

Sorry that should say we couldn’t use Joseph**

Quincey?

Marcus?

These were my two names for if DT2 had been a boy. They are both traditional but unusual now and both go with James imo.

What was your first choice and what was your DH’s? That might give us some idea of what you like.

I don’t love the name Gabriel and it sounds like neither of you do either. I just couldn’t go for a name I didn’t love.

I love it.

Could consider Fabian, Reuben.

DH wanted Appie 🤔
My first choice was Nate.

He didn’t like my first choice, I didn’t like his...honestly picking DDs name was done 10mins after the 20week scan.

Well, Apple has to be out!
What about Zachary James or Isaac James?

Not apple bertrand Appie 🤦🏻‍♀️ Honestly at this point I would go for a piece of fruit for a name.

Seems daft to use a name neither of you are keen on.

If you want names that are 'classic' but not very common at the moment, what about some real classics such as

Mark
David
Peter
John
Jonathan
Stephen
Andrew
Matthew
Paul

etc etc

Alex James? Haven't heard of any little Alex's about recently, it was quite popular about 20 years ago.

Appie is... not a name. Or a word. Or anything. Weird.

Gabriel is lovely. I prefer it to Nate. But Appie is truly awful.

Ive never heard of Appie, sounds like an app for kids, maybe:

Amos
Ishmael
Aris
Moses

Lots of Gabriels round here. Every single one known as Gabe.

Gabriel is lovely and so is Nate (or Nathaniel).

How about Matthew, Andrew, Saul, Daniel, Jeremy, Julian, Aaron, Russell.

Good luck, the little might appear and just look like a name.